One of those Days
by CookieCatSU
Summary: After 3 months away at camp, Luz returns, and Camilia Noceda is surprised to see a new visitor at her doorstep. The fact that she calls herself 'The Most Powerful Witch of the Isles' doesn't really help. Or; Camilia meets Eda.
1. One of Those Days

Camilia hasn't seen her daughter in 3 months.

She's wondered, several times, if sending her away to camp was the right choice, has wondered, if perhaps, she'd been too hasty. Especially those days where she's feeling nostalgic: as she gazes at the photo on the mantelpiece, stares at that youthful, wonderfilled expression, at her little girl pouncing over her shoulders. She traces her smile, and gazes at the immortalized image of their twin faces, so happy and smiling, and feels nothing but regret.

Then, some days, she's cleaning the living room, and she finds another dead snake hidden beneath the sofa, and she knows she made the right choice.

Other days still, days like today, she feels the anxiousness of the unknown, wonders who she'll see when her daughter returns and the door opens and she finally sees her Luz again. How different will she be? Will she be too different? Will they have changed her? Will she be unrecognizable because it's been so long?

Then she dislodges the worry because it's only been 3 months, and Luz was her child, and this camp was best for her.

She gazes at the clock, hanging over the fireplace, and smiles.

She should be happy. She is happy, absolutely ecstatic in fact.

Today was the day. Luz was coming _home_.

She stands in the foyer for a long time, listening to the clock tick, staring at eggshell white walls, waiting. Waiting.

The doorbell rings, and immediately Camilia knows it's Luz.

She throws the door open, sees her, and immeditately pulls her into a bone crushing hug without a word, just holding her child. Her baby.

"Luz. I'm so happy your back," She hadn't realized just how much she missed her, until she finally had her back again.

She tousles short black tresses, pulling her closer, eyes wet and teary. Luz smiles, returning the hug with a liquidy laugh,

"Mom!"

There's an awkward cough off to their left, and then Luz is pushing away from her, slow and hesitant. Camilia, as reluctant as she is to do so, lets her go. She watches her daughter with a quizzical expression.

That's when she notices the stranger on her porch.

She's tall, a grey haired, old woman laden with golden jewelry, and sharp eyes as bright as the brooch attached to her chest. She looks like one of the characters straight out of the pages of her daughter's silly little fantasy novels, as if the ink had consolidated and come to life, pointy eared and bird like and decidedly not human looking.

Even her style of dress is odd, gaudy and ridiculous (all she needed now was a red witch's hat to go along with that staff).

Camilia stares quizzically at this lady.

Luz smiles awkwardly. Indicates the red clad lady with a sweeping gesture,

"Uh Mom, this is Eda"

'Eda' smiles down at her, sharp and predator-like, showing off a bright gold fang that seemed to gleam ominously in the sunlight.

"So, _you're_ the mother I've been hearing about… Bummer" She laughs, rough and cackling.

Instantly, Camilla distrusts her. Something about her is slimy. Dishonest.

She can't help but ask who this woman is (she's definitely no camp counselor), and how her daughter knows her.

"What?"

"I dunno. I was expecting you to be meaner"

Camilia shakes her head in frustration.

"Who the heck are you?"

Camilia moves, without much thought, to stand between Luz, and this stranger, hackles raised, her only thought being to keep this woman away from her child.

Eda glares at her in response, pulling Luz closer to her side with a protective hiss, stepping between mother and daughter, intercepting with a surprisingly quick, sharp gesture.

"Watch it, lady. I'm not letting you touch Luz"

Camilia jumps to her feet, frustrated,

"She's my daughter!" Camilia shouts, with agitated indignance.

The woman does not budge.

A tap on her shoulder. The tall woman softens somewhat, as she gazes at Luz (at _her_ daughter),

"Eda, it's okay" She assures, and the lady stands down, body relaxing somewhat, as if Luz's word was all that mattered.

There's this closeness, this fondness about their interactions, that rubs Camilia the wrong way. Her countenance is that of a concerned mother, protecting her child.

Jealousy, hot and angering, wells up within Camilia.

What was going on here...

"Luz, who is this?"

"This is Eda. She's a witch"

Camilia never thought she'd hear those words uttered aloud, and believe them. Then again, she's also never seen a pointy eared, alabaster skinned, golden eyed woman on her porch before.

She kinda had to believe at this point.

Eda grins smugly, as if on cue, bowing, slender hand clasped at her chest, hovering just over the golden jewel attached to her collarbone, which Camilia assumed was part of her dress.

"Uh-huh. Edaline, also known as the Owl Lady, also the most powerful witch on the Boiling Isles, at your service, Miss"

Camilia blinked, speechless. This all seemed so ridiculous, too ridiculous, to even fathom. Then Eda, 'the Owl Lady', grabs her hand, placing a faint kiss to the knuckles, like the knights of old, only further sealing the ridiculous nature of the entire encounter.

Honestly though, she'll roll with the punches, at this point.

When Luz exclaims that Eda's been teaching her magic, of all things, Camilia isn't even surprised, as farfetched as it all sounds.

It was just one of those days, she supposed.

* * *

Camilia hates Eda, immediately (hates everything about her, and all she does and does not, represent), but then Luz looks at her, imploringly, that same way she'd gazed at her all those months ago, before she sent her off to camp, and something shifts.

Within ten minutes, Camilia has a witch in her house, gazing at the TV like it's some mystical device, clawing through the toilet paper with avid fascination.

She's gazing all around, neck bent nearly in half, drinking it all in.

"Nice place," She says.

And Camilia concedes it's just one of those days. One of those, letting snakes loose into the auditorium, sort of days.


	2. Please Leave

She could not get her to leave. Well, no, not quite. Eda wanted to stay, just to see what all the fuss was about, she claimed, and Camilia didn't know how to tell her daughter that no, the witch could not stay (because I hate her, sweetheart, and I think she's a metaphorical shark poised on eating you). So she stayed.

The sizzle of bacon on the stove is loud, grease crackling, as Camilia toasts toast and fries eggs for breakfast. The kitchen is thick with the aroma, bright with light and faint voices.

"What is this?" The witch exclaims, as the plate is thrust in front of her. Camilia scowls at her, and Luz, ever the mediator, places a hand on the Witch's arm, stealing away her attention before she could snap back,

"It's breakfast food. We eat it in the morning here on Earth" Luz explains patiently.

Eda, looking rather dissatisfied, frowns in confusion,

"Where's the blood, or the eyeballs?" She exclaims, "How do I know it's fresh?"

"Don't tell me that's what you've been feeding my daughter for the last three months?"

Eda refuses to answer. Instead she turns toward her 'breakfast', fork and knife in hand, gazing dubiously at the egg on her plate. She sniffs it, like some foreign material, before finally putting it in her mouth.

Her eyes light up, and she scarfs down everything else on the plate.

"What is this? It's like mana from the heavens"

Luz laughs.

Again, Camilia feels that burn in her chest, of red hot jealousy.

* * *

Camilia knows its ridiculous. She's bigger than this. She knows she is. She isn't some feuding six year old, angry about some crayon some other equally silly child snatched from her.

She knows she should not feel jealous. She knows it's stupid.

Still, she watches Luz, and this woman, this witch, sitting in the backseat of the car. Her daughter is watching the bejeweled woman intently, hanging on to every word of her story. Camilia, unfamiliar with the fantastical subject matter, struggles to keep up at all.

She's reminded once more that there's a whole nother aspect of Luz's life she hasn't been privy to, is unable to share with her. It frustrates her, because she's always known all the bits and pieces that constructed her child's life. As a good parent, she made certain of it.

Luz and Eda burst out laughing in the back, hands held at sides, eyes wet with tears of amusement. Camilia could not remember the last time she heard Luz laugh like that, or the last time she saw her so happy.

Camilia scowls, hands tightening around the steering wheel.

* * *

Eda has been with them a few days. Life with her in it has been hectic, and… interesting. Camilia still couldn't get past the encounter at the supermarket,

Luz has long since went to bed. Camilia makes her way to the living room, where she finds Eda, still wide awake, seated with the light of the television lighting up her pale features.

She grins at Camilia, at once mischievous and teasing. Like she's got some trick up her sleeve.

"This magic tele box thing is fascinating" She says, pointing at the TV. Some inane western was playing in black and white, "how does it work? And how do they get the little people inside?"

Camilia blinks at the lady. Shakes her head, overwhelmed once more by the sheer irritation that's been following her the last couple days,

"How long are you going to be here?"

She shrugs, considerably more sober.

"Dunno. A few weeks"

Camilia processes this. She's uncertain how she feels about it. Actually, she's really not. She hates the idea, but she's sure Luz would be happy to hear the news.

Camilia wanted a return to normalcy.

Eda turns back to the television, contemplative. Gunshots ring from the television, the cinematics bullets traveling through air.

"As long as the kid needs me. As long as sh wants me to be here" She says, soft. So caring.

"Is that okay with you?" Eda asks then, turning suddenly to look at her.

Camilia nods, struck silent, and doing the only thing she can, slips back upstairs.

* * *

There's a raging storm of wind, whipping around them in a cyclone. Leaves and acorns lash in front of her eyes. Camilia glares upward at the hulking, winged beast hovering above them.

She's horrified.

"What is that?!"

Huge and dragon like, with a gaping maw and 6 eyes, surrounded by tapering white scales, it looked like a creature from nightmares.

Eda is wide eyed, gripping her staff in both hands.

"Dang! It followed me"

The beast lands, shaking the very ground they stood on. Camilia stumbles, rolling out of the way of it's massive, spiked tail.

In that moment, she's just thankful Luz is inside the house.

"What?" She brought this thing here?

"It's been chasing me for weeks. Those stupid coven cronies… I thought I'd lost it" Eda scowls, already drawing a bright, glowing circle of gold in the air.

"You knew?" Camilia calls over the beast's brutish roar, shaking and fuming with anger.

The witch scoffs,

"Of course I knew. It's hard _not_ to notice an overgrown, 700 pound lizard with wings"

The beast didn't like that description, apparently. It snatches Eda up in it's clawed grip, with a ferocious howl.

The spell rips through the air, nebulus light slamming straight into it's scaly hide. The marks across it's skin glow an unnatural blue, as it's scales bend and refract, bursting apart at all the sites of impact.

It howls, rearing back, uprooting grass and flower beds and nearly crushing the tree in the corner of the yard. Then, it's gone, shooting back from whence it came with a huff of pure frustration and pain.

Eda lands on the ground with an unceremonious thud.

She's grinning, though.

"And take that, foul beast" She chuckles victoriously, pettering out into a cackling snort, "What a rush!"

Camilia is less than enthused. She jumps to her feet. Standing nose to nose with the witch, eyes squinted with anger,

"You need to leave. Now!" She hisses.

Eda's eyes widen, mouth half agape.

"What?"

She knew it. She knew it! She knew something like this would happen! Camilia's thoughts are only of her daughter, of keeping her safe.

"You brought some monster here. You're clearly a danger, and you need to go!"

Eda sends her a sideways glare.

"You can't tell me what to do, lady" Eda snaps, "Besides… I'm staying with my kid"


	3. Probation

The conversation echoes with familiarity. It's the same talks she's had with her late husband, where she would advise and talk, arguing tooth and nail, and he would ignore and push on, regardless of anything she could utter.

She'd tell him to think, to consider just a moment longer. He'd pretend like he didn't hear her. So stubborn. So thick headed.

"You aren't my keeper. You don't control _me_" and she, Eda, sounds just like him, in that moment. It's reminiscent enough to make Camilia's fists clench, as she slams her foot on the ground with the pure, clawing frustration of it all.

"That's it!" She snaps, barely cutting off the growl forming in her throat.

"What are you going to do about it, huh?" Eda calls, just like a feuding six year old.

* * *

"Hey mom, where's Eda?" Luz asks curiously. It's been a few days since she's seen Eda, and she was beginning to become worried.

"She's on probation, mija" Camilia replies. She doesn't pause as she chops up the carrots, pushing them off the cutting board into an empty pot. Luz watches from her perch at the kitchen table, as she pours sugar and flour and pulls out cake pans.

"Right" Luz nods reasonably, drumming her fingers against the table, "what'd she do?"

Camilia freezes, for a short moment. She can't get the words out of her head, the angry, rebellious looks. Golden eyes, narrowed, almost hateful. She sees her half dead husband, struggling for breath. She sees Luz, crumbled, covered in burn marks.

She's moments from being crushed by a dragon's paw, and all she can think about is not today, not today, _not today_.

She puts down the knife. Turns to drain the carrots.

"She brought a ginormous fire breathing... dragon with her, essentially" She hisses out.

Luz's eyes light up.

"That's so cool"

"Not cool. It was just dangerous. I saw my life flash before my eyes yesterday"

"Yeah, but the excitement!"

Luz always had been her brave little explorer. She smiles faintly, despite herself. Worry still coils in her gut.

"Wait till you almost get crushed. You won't be saying that then, mija"

Luz hums, as if silently weighing her options.

"Still… I would have liked to see it" She flashes a face splitting grin, "I'll ask Eda what it looks like. Maybe I can sketch it. Oooo, and I bet she has some great stories"

She's gone in seconds. Camilia sighs, before she dumps the flour in with the sugar. Carrot cake wasn't going to bake itself, after all.

* * *

Camilia ends up spending a lot more time with Eda than she already was, in the next coming weeks, since probation entailed keeping the witch on constant lookout. She didn't let her out of her sight for six days straight, only so much as turning her head away from her so she could sleep.

On the 12th day, Camilia pushes Eda out of her makeshift couch turned bed at 6 o'clock sharp. The witch lets out a disgruntled groan, blinking blearily.

"Why are you waking me up at the crack of dawn?" She hisses, voice muddled with exhaustion.

"The sun was up an hour ago" Camilia rolls her eyes, "Anyway, I'm going to the flea market, and your coming because you can't be trusted alone"

"A market that sells fleas? Sounds weird. I like it" She wipes the last vestiges of sleep from her eyes, before stretching out, followed by the sound of several popping joints, "It's way too early to do anything, though"

Camilia had no sympathy.

"Too bad. You should have thought of that before you nearly got us killed"

"Ugh. Then I need some coffee first"

* * *

"Hey, Eda!" Luz calls, over a plate of freshly cooked pancakes.

"Hey kid" Eda yawns, scratching at her ear, "Where's that white, powdery stuff?"

"You mean sugar?"

"I know what sugar is. I mean the other, white powdery stuff"

Camilia rolls her eyes, tuning the witch out. Instead, she turns to her daughter, smiling softly.

"I thought we could spend some time together today" It'd been weeks, since they had any real time together. Camilia missed her daughter, was so desperate to reach out and connect with her. Especially with the arrival of their newest 'addition', "How's that sound, conejita?"

Her eyes light up.

"Are we-?"

"Yep"

She pumps her fist in the air.

"Yes!"

* * *

Camilia and Luz went to the flea market at least once a month. It was a little family tradition of theirs, started when Luz was just knee high. They'd go to the market together, just her and Luz, and they'd window shop, and bond over cheap costumes.

The sun beams down on them, as they walk past open faced booths, collections of odd knickknacks and towering cardboard boxes.

She pulls her daughter into her side.

A glint of gold catches her eye. They pause in front of a display of necklaces, brooches and bracelets, gaudy and bright and colorful.

"Oh look, it's some jewelry"

Luz grins, a silly little smile, throwing 8 or 9 bracelets on both wrists. She turns to her mother, striking a rather stylish pose.

"I look like a princess, don't I?" She calls, with a fake, pretentious voice.

"Yes. You're so stunning, your highness" Camilia says with a laugh, playing along. She too puts on a few bracelets, which sparkle in the light.

Eda stands off to the side, huffing to herself.

Camilia places a few dollars in the young man's hands, coming away from the exchange with a few beaded bracelets. She flashes Eda a smug smile as she turns away, before leading Luz further into the market.

Eda huffs again.

* * *

They're having fun, going from booth to booth, looking at the various wares for sale.

Luz grins widely, grasping the ukelele in both hands. It was painted with little galaxies, bright with brilliant stardust and vast nebulas, sleek spacecraft realistic enough to pop off the instrument. She plucks experimentally at the strings, beaming.

"Wow, this is nice!"

The witch had wandered off long ago. Camilia looks around, eyes wide as saucers as she realizes she lost her. She lost a whole dang person.

"Stay right here, mija. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay mom"

Eda was like a traffic cone, glaringly obvious amongst the humans milling about, with her wild gray locks, and her even wilder exterior.

She finds her 3 minutes later, kicking and screaming with a busted tire in her hands.

"Eda, come back here right now!" Camilia shouts.

Eda growls at the vendor, who throws his hands up, shaking with fright.

'You got lucky this time' She mouths, glaring him down. Camilia grabs her by the elbow, turning her away, before muttering a sorry to the poor guy.

"Hey, that jerk said it was free" She exclaims, as Camilia forcefully drags her away.

"I seriously doubt he did" Camilia grinds out.

"He did" Eda grumbles, crossing her arms with a huff.

So much for a peaceful afternoon.

"This is why I'm keeping an eye on you" Camilia hisses.

Eda rolls her eyes, sticking her tongue out at her, "Uh-huh. How's that going?"

Not very well, clearly.

* * *

It was raining, hard. They stumble home, laden with bags, slipping through dirty slush.

Eda had panicked, when she first saw the sky start to darken, eyes impossibly wide. Her mouth hangs half agape, and she's already reaching her hand upward, drawing a glowing circle of gilded gold in thin air. Camilia is left speechless for a moment, as she watches a shield, half transparent, almost as liquid looking as the rain, form above them. The first act of magic she'd witnessed the so called witch perform, but the first where she'd actually been able to see, and notice, and watch the magic happen (the last time, last week, she'd been too distracted, scrambling not to be crushed by a dragon's giant paw, to really notice anything else. Certainly not to notice the intricacies of how magic spells were cast).

it was actually pretty fascinating to watch. Some part of her, that rebellious, disloyal little part of her, could understand the appeal it presented to her daughter.

The rest of her still hates the witch for it.

"Stay close" Eda says, as she yanks them both under her constructed shield, "If we're careful we'll survive this"

"What?" Camilia asks.

"Oh, where Eda comes from, acid pours from the sky anytime it rains. Like, actual burn your skin off acid"

"We need to find cover quick" Eda shouts.

"There is no danger, okay? It's just water, see?"

Camilia grabs the women's hand, extending it out from under their makeshift umbrella. Eda winces in anticipation, eyes squinting shut as she waits for the searing burn. When it doesn't occur, she opens her eyes, pleased to see she was fine.

If anything, the rain was pleasantly cool. She blinks, staring with fascination at the way the water hit her forearm, wrapping around her skin, dripping just at her elbow. She moves further out from the shield's protective diameter, allowing the rain to encapsulate her.

Finally, she bolts from under the cover entirely. The shield soon dissipates completely, leaving Luz and Camilia to get wet.

"Where are you going?" Camilia shouts after her.

"Race you home!" Is all Eda says, "Last one there is a soaked luber worm!"

Luz speeds after her, laughing,

"Challenge accepted" She hollers in response.

Camilia can only shake her head, grumbling, but in a fond sort of way.


	4. Cross My Heart

Tensions had been running high for weeks. Luz seemed not to notice, which Camilia was grateful for. Her daughter was usually quite perceptive, and Camilia's been dreading the inevitable event where she'd have to explain to her why she and Eda can't see eye to eye. Why she hates her. The fact that she hates her.

She can't fathom exactly why, but Camilia can see that Luz is undeniably, irrevocably attached to Eda.

Then, she sees Eda and Luz, huddled together on the couch, late one Tuesday night, a dusty old spell book between them, Luz blinking blearily with exhaustion, but smiling nonetheless, as the woman beside her explains the complex spell, with bright expansive hand motions and an equally bright grin, and Camilia knows that's a lie. She _knows_ why.

She knows why Eda has suddenly become the favorite, and she hates it nonetheless.

She doesn't want Luz to know. She fears that if Eda leaves, if Eda is put out, she'll lose Luz as well. Besides, they're adults. Surely they could work this out without putting Luz in the middle.

Only, that felt impossible at this given moment. Camilia's getting to the end of her rope, her wit's end… And Eda seems determined to poke and prod her at every turn.

Eda could be incredibly petty. There was no question there. She never once claimed not to be.

She's the first one to throw a ball of mud. It hits Camilia in the side of the head, and Eda's left stunned by the accuracy of her aim, mouth half agape as she stares speechless at the woman. Then she doubles over, overcome by a series of belly wrenching chuckles, as Camilia, expression wide with outrage, wipes the mud from around her mouth.

In the time since the witch arrived, Camilia's been nearly crushed by a dragon, assaulted by a miniature demon, and almost drowned, but this crossed the line.

"You insufferable little-"

* * *

When Luz finally finds them, they're covered in mud, heaving and agitated.

"I yield" Eda whispers, throwing her head down in the mud.

Camilia ignores her.

"Uh… should I ask what uh, happened here?" Luz murmurs, umbrella held tight in her hands.

"No"

* * *

Eda may be ridiculous, but she was not stupid. She decides the smartest course of action is to lay low.

Camilia knows because she hasn't seen her exit the spare bedroom she'd taken for her own, since their little… argument.

Luz is hunched over her bowl, filled to the brim with cereal bits and milk. She chases them around with her spoon, gazing at her mother with head tilted to the side in curiousity. "So… about what happened a couple days ago? You and Eda had a fight?"

"It's nothing to worry yourself about, mija. It was just a little disagreement"

"And you throw mud when you disagree with people" She's laughing. Her daughter's laughing at her.

"I mean, not usually. But it's nothing. We've already figured it out"

Luz hums at that. "So, if I were to go, say, to the Boiling Isles with Eda to pick up our friend King, you wouldn't mind? Because you're not mad at her still?"

"Exactly"

That's a lie, but it's considerably more palatable than the truth.

* * *

She sighs, patting Luz softly on the cheek.

"Do you have everything you need, mija?" Camilia asks, voice heavy with motherly concern.

It feels like sending her daughter off to a warzone, letting her go through that portal with Eda. She eyes it, out of the corner of her eye, the looming wooden doorway, entrance suffused with a golden light that made the tiles in the mudroom shine like brilliant platinum leaflets. She shutters at the way it twirls, a thick, gelatinous substance that blinds her to what lay beyond.

Luz nods, smile wide and beaming.

"Aye, Aye, Captain" She hefts up the giant backpack slung across her shoulders as reassurance.

"Well, okay. Just, make sure you call everyday, alright?" Luz nods obediently

She throws her arms around her mother in a crushing hug that Camilia returns, smiles, and mutters a quick 'I love you' before turning to rush towards her destination.

Camilia stands from where she's knelt on the floor, watching after her daughter.

"Keep her safe, okay?" She tells Eda as she passes by.

The witch rolls her eyes.

"Don't I always?" She asks gruffly. Camilia grimaces, and Eda gives a lopsided smirk, gaze softening, "She's in the best of hands, alright. Nothing's happening to her while she's with me. Cross my heart and hope my hands falls out"

She does exactly that, dragging her fingertip across her chest in an x shape, presumably where her heart sits (off centered; on the right as opposed to the left), before literally taking her hand off to prove her point. It pops off, with a little squelching sound, like flesh unstitching, and Camilia can see the bone and surrounding tissue, severed clean at the junction.

It isn't any more graphic than what she sees everyday at the hospital, as a full time nurse, but she gags all the same. It's so _unnatural_, it's sickening.

"Can you not do that?" Camilia snaps, shuddering.

Eda laughs at her.

Then Luz is calling for her mentor to hurry up, voice whiny with impatience.

"Coming," Eda calls. She screws her hand back on like a light bulb, grumbling faintly as she gets it facing the right way, "Be patient..." a pause. She faces Camilia one last time with a smirk, "Ugh. Kids, am I right?"

She grabs her bag, and Camilia watches as she coats over to Luz, who's standing beside the portal with cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish.

"Ready to go, grub?" Eda asks. Luz nods.

The golden light flickers, and for a moment Camilia can glimpse the scene beyond it: a huge house with round, stained glass windows and sweeping rounded roofs and an owl face stuck to the door. The ground is an acidic yellow and the sky is red, and something about the entire scene is just so otherworldly.

Luz waves at her, front half of her body hanging out from the portal, it's surface rippling like a reflection in a lake. It's distorted, and soon she can't see any of the image at all.

"Bye mom! Be back soon" She waves one more time with a smile.

And then she's gone. And Camilia is alone for the first time in 3 months.

The portal… the door, folds up and over itself, until it's the size of a suitcase, and then subsequently vanishes.

Camilia just stands in the mudroom and gapes.


End file.
